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Illustrated portrait of Andrew Raynes

A character in The Charioteer

Andrew Raynes

A young Quaker conscientious objector whose feelings for Laurie unsettle his religious and moral understanding of himself.

What they want

To remain faithful to his pacifist and religious conscience while confronting feelings he has never fully named.

The book

Cover of The Charioteer by Mary Renault
The CharioteerMary Renault, 1953

A wounded soldier must choose between different kinds of love in a world where neither can be public.

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Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Andrew is a fair-haired young Quaker serving as a hospital orderly because he refuses military violence. His bond with Laurie is emotionally intimate but physically restrained.

He wants to act consistently with his conscience even when his feelings challenge his understanding. Laurie must learn that respecting Andrew means allowing him to choose without being rescued or directed.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • AppearanceHe is fair-haired, slim, clear-faced, and serious.
  • DressPlain orderly clothes reflect Quaker simplicity.
  • WorkHospital service makes pacifism active rather than passive.
  • MannerGentleness coexists with strong moral concentration.
  • RelationshipHis intimacy with Laurie remains largely unspoken.
  • AgencyThe ending insists that his moral struggle belongs to him.
Why Andrew leavesHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

After Bunny's cruel confrontation, Andrew admits feelings he believes wrong to act upon and takes dangerous ambulance work in London. He does not reunite with Laurie within the novel.

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